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Who can really claim first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle delivery in US?

Last month, Hyundai said that the initial deliveries of the Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles in California meant that, "For the first time, retail consumers can now put a mass-produced, federally-certified hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in their driveways." But try telling that to Jon Spallino. In 2005, Honda leased a hydrogen fuel cell FCX, a small hatchback, to the Spallino family (as far as we know, he parked it in his driveway). The company did the same thing again in 2008 with the FCX Clarity, a sleek new design based on the FCX Concept, and others signed for the H2 ride as well, including celebrities. No matter how you slice it, Honda has been in the fuel cell delivery market for almost a decade now. Just look at this. Or this. Or this. Oh, and other automakers (General Motors in Project Driveway in 2006 and Mercdes-Benz with the F-Cell in 2010, for example) have delivered fuel cell vehicles in the US as part of short-term test programs. But let's get back to Hyundai's claim. There's little question that the first delivery of a "fuel cell vehicle for the US market" has already taken place (and they were federally certified, too), which means that the debate revolves around the definition of mass-produced and whether "mass production" is about a number or about the process? Let's investigate below. First, lets review Honda's bona fides. We can start with the official version of Honda's fuel cell history, which is missing the pertinent detail that Honda build the Clarity on a dedicated assembly line and established a small network of three dealerships to lease the FCX Clarity in 2008. All of the FCX Clarity vehicles in customer hands in the US were leased through these dealerships. Sure, Honda started with hand-built stacks in its hydrogen vehicles, but went to automated control of some parts and components with series production. "It is good to see others doing today what we've been doing since 2008" – Steve Ellis, Honda Or, as Honda's Steve Elllis put it to AutoblogGreen regarding Hyundai's fuel cell deliveries: "This was exactly as prescribed by the creation of the California Fuel Cell Partnership. It's the very essence of 'co-op-itition.' We at Honda, as do many others, continue to push forward on many technologies, both the battery and the fuel cell. And society is the beneficiary." Then he added, "It is good to see others doing today what we've been doing since 2008." Now, how does Hyundai compare?

Acura NSX and David Lee Roth wail together in Super Bowl spot

Super Bowl 50 is just over a week away, but carmakers are already rolling out their big ads. Acura's newly released commercial uses the screams and moans from Van Halen's David Lee Roth and the song Runnin' with the Devil to build excitement about the upcoming supercar. As Van Halen plays, the NSX evolves from a slab of metal into the turbocharged, hybrid coupe. In a patriotic touch, the commercial uses red, white, and blue to subtly communicate the supercar's US development and production. It's a clever ad, sure, but we wish it showed more of the new NSX's high-performance capability. There's never a bad time to listen to some Van Halen, though. The video above is the 30-second Super Bowl commercial, which airs during the first quarter. However, the clip below is a one-minute version that lets the visuals breathe more. The longer cut is the better one, but Acura's choice is understandable given the expense of Super Bowl ad time. Acura Rolls Out American-made NSX Supercar with Super Bowl Commercial Set to Van Halen Classic, Runnin' with the Devil Jan 29, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif. Iconic Van Halen song infuses high-voltage energy into NSX rollout Comprehensive activation includes social media sweepstakes, enabling consumers to experience the NSX Acura is one of the first brands to use Twitter Conversational Video to launch Super Bowl spot Acura is showcasing the next generation NSX, the only supercar made in America1, to the soundtrack of an iconic American rock song in a new commercial that will debut during Super Bowl 50. The high-energy vocal effects of the Van Halen classic Runnin' with the Devil provide the powerful beat for the Acura commercial that will appear during the first quarter of the big game. The spot is a showcase of the Precision Crafted Performance brand direction that is core to the Acura brand and vividly represented in the NSX supercar. The new Acura Super Bowl commercial is posted to Acura.com and Acura social media channels for previewing before the big game and is augmented with a series of unique social media activations and live experiences, including one of the first applications of Twitter Conversational Video to launch a Super Bowl spot. "In our Acura commercial, we wanted to convey the excitement of the NSX to a big Super Bowl audience," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of Acura.

Honda recalls 6,800 Accord hybrids for switching to fail-safe mode

Honda is recalling 6,786 examples of the 2014-2015 Accord hybrid for an issue that can cause them to go into fail-safe mode. There are no reports of injuries or accidents, but the company has received 58 warranty claims about the problem as of Sept. 17, 2015, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported. Due to an issue in the sedan's hybrid battery cell voltage sensor, the part can be affected by electrical noise from the hybrid battery inverter and motor circuits. When this happens, the vehicle enter a fail-safe EV mode, which shuts off the internal combustion engine and limits the speed to 40 miles per hour. According to Honda, the Accord hybrids have about two miles of driving range in this state, and afterwards they stall. As a fix, the automaker has a software update to keep the sensor from misinterpreting the electrical noise. RECALL Subject : Hybrid System may go into Fail Safe Mode Report Receipt Date: SEP 25, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V602000 Component(s): HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 6,786 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) HONDA ACCORD HYBRID 2014-2015 Details Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) SUMMARY: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Honda Accord Hybrid vehicles manufactured August 29, 2013, to May 30, 2015. Electrical interference may cause the hybrid system to switch into fail-safe mode, disabling the gasoline engine, limiting the vehicle's speed to 40 miles per hour and functioning only on battery power. Once the battery is discharged, the vehicle will stall. CONSEQUENCE: A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the hybrid system software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin November 6, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JT7. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Statement by American Honda Regarding Cell Voltage Sensor Recall: 2014-2015 Accord Hybrid Oct 5, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. Honda will voluntarily recall 6,786 model-year 2014-2015 Accord Hybrid vehicles in the United States to update the hybrid system software related to the hybrid battery cell voltage sensor (CVS), free of charge.